Electric motor



J. F. GELNAW ELECTRIC MOTOR Oct. 6, 1936.

Filed Dec. 29, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 {gt Euro]? M ATTORNEY III'IIIIIIII ii Patented Oct. 6, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE ELECTRIC MOTOR John F. Gelnaw, Cleveland, Ohio Application December 29, 1933, Serial No. 704,501 2Claims. (Cl. 172'126) This invention relates to an electric motor, and in particular to a reciprocating piston, radial type, electric motor.

A general object of the invention is to provide an electric motor having reciprocating pistons in solenoids radially arranged and adapted to deliver a smooth flow of energy to a drive shaft.

Another object is to provide an electric motor having reciprocating pistons in solenoids radially arranged in different planes in which power strokes of the pistons in one plane are delivered to a drive shaft simultaneously with thepower strokes of pistons in other planes but at a predetermined relative angular relation.

Another object is to provide a radial type motor having reciprocating pistons actuated by cooperating solenoids in which the solenoids are only intermittently in use during each revolution of the motor, thereby making possible a more economical design and one having relatively low Winding losses.

Among other objects my invention contemplates a radial type electric motor of rugged and simple construction, and one adapted to be manufactured economically. Other and more specific objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the attached drawings, in which Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section, and somewhat diagrammatical, illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of that in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view, partly in section, of a portion of the connecting rod mechanism.

Figs. 4 and 5 are further detail views of this same mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a wiring arrangement used in an embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, there is shown a plurality of solenoids l0 having cooperatively associated therewith magnetic pistons l2, which are slotted at l4 to receive the ends of connecting rods l6 secured thereto as by pins IS. The solenoids I0 may be supported on the periphery of a supporting annulus 26, as shown. Within each solenoid is a liner member 22 in which the pistons l2 reciprocate. Each solenoid may have a stop or cap member 24 located in one end. This member may be apertured to prevent compression of air between it and the end of the pistons. The solenoids may be arranged radially in different axial planes or rows, as shown in Fig. 2, and for a purpose which will more fully hereinafter appear.

Cooperating with one solenoid in each plane or row is a master connecting rod 26 having a ring portion 28 integral therewith. Individual or separate connecting rods I6 to each piston are pivotally connected with the master connecting rod 26 by pins 32. Bearing members 34 are rotatably disposed on crank pins 36, 37 and 38 rigid with the drive shaft 46. The drive shaft may be 10 supported in suitable bearings such as those shown at 42 and supported in hub or end members 44 secured to the supporting annulus 20.

Rigid with the drive shaft 40 and insulated therefrom is a commutator, diagrammatically 15 illustrated at 46. Each solenoid ID has one terminal thereof suitably connected to a corresponding segment 48 on the commutator 46 in a manner to be indicated later, and rotating brush member 49 slidably contacts with these segments. The commutator diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 is shown as being disposed on the end of shaft 40 at the top in Fig. 2, so that if the drive shaft 40 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow Y the commutator will rotate in a direction indicated by the arrow X.

As shown in Fig. 2, the solenoids It) may be arranged axially in rows corresponding to the number of crank pins associated with the drive shaft 40. As shown, there are three rows or planes axially, each row having solenoids actuating pistons connected to ring portions 28 on the crank pins 36, 31 and 38, respectively.

The solenoids in may be connected to the commutator 46 in various ways. One preferred method is to parallel certain solenoids in different planes at a proper angular relation. For example, referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 6, I may connect the solenoids in one plane at positions indicated at A, B, and C to commutator seg- 40 ments at, b, and 0, respectively. Also solenoids in another plane at positions indicated at D, E, and F, and in still another plane at positions indicated at G, H, and I may be paralleled with the solenoids at A, B, and C, respectively, by connecting 45 to the segments a, b, and 0, respectively.

The operation of the embodiment illustrated is as follows: Assuming the brush member 49 to be connected to a suitable source of supply, as the generator indicated diagrammatically at 50, 50 and each solenoid having a common connection therewith, as indicated at 51, when the brush member is contacting with the segments a, b, and c, solenoids at A, B and C in one row or plane and solenoids in another row corresponding to 55 positions D, E and F, and solenoids in a third row at positions indicated at G, H and I will be simultaneously energized to exert a pull on th pistons therein. It will thus be clear that each of the crank pins 36, 31 and 38 will have a pull exerted thereon continuously throughout rotation of the shaft 40, and that the pull will be angularly disposed, so that the drive shaft 40 has imparted thereto a substantially smooth flow of power. 7

Instead of using one commutator and paralleling coils in different planes of solenoids; I may use a separate commutator for each plane and control the solenoids in a manner like or similar to that just described.

While in Figs. 1 and 2 there have been shown three axial rows or planes of solenoids, it will be obvious that byproviding fewer or additional crank pins associated with the drive shaft a lesser or greater numbenrespectively, of axial rows may be provided; the greater the number of rows the smoother willbe the flow of energy and the greater the power delivered to the drive shaft. However, I' have found that with the arrangement illustrated in these two figures, for all practical purposes a continuously smooth flow of power is produced. 7 V

In Figs. 3, a, and 5 I haveillustrated details of one form that my connecting rod mechanism may take. As there shown, the master connecting rod'26 has integral therewith a ring portion 28 concentric with and having disposed inside thereof a bearing member 34. The bearing member 35 has equi-distantly spaced therearound a series of recesses 52 adapted to register with similar recesses 54 in the ring portion 28, to redesire to be limited to the exact details of construction shown, but include such other and further modifications as are within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 7

I claim: 7

'1. A radial type electric motor comprising a plurality of solenoids annularly disposed in a plurality of planes, there being corresponding solenoids in each plane, pistons in the solenoids, a

' crank shaft, means connecting said pistons to said crank shaft, a commutator, and connections from said solenoids to said commutator paralleling solenoids in one plane with solenoids in other planes disposed at an angular relation to said first solenoid.

2. In a radial typeelectric motor; the combination of a plurality of solenoids angularly disposed, in difierent planes, the solenoids in each plane having corresponding solenoids in the other planes, pistons in said solenoids, a crank shaft having angularly disposed crank pins, means connecting the pistons in each plane to one of said pins, and means for successively and'intermittently energizing adjacent groups comprising less than all of said solenoids in'each plane to cause a substantially constant pull to be exerted on said crank pins. Y

7 JOHN F. GELNAW;

ceive and support connecting rod retaining pins The bearing member 34 may be split invention can obviously be made, and I do not 

